The State Court Administrator will publish and maintain a statewide register of interpreters which will consist of the following:

   (A) Certified Court Interpreters: Court interpreters who have satisfied all certification requirements pursuant to § 6-705.

   (B) Provisionally Certified Court Interpreters. Interpreters for languages other than those for which an oral examination is available through the National Center for State Courts. These interpreters are provisionally certified by satisfying the requirements outlined in § 6-706 until such time an oral examination is developed.

   (C) Registered Court Interpreters. Non-certified court interpreters who have not satisfied the requirements of § 6-705, but have completed an interpreter orientation program sponsored by the State Court Administrator and achieved a qualifying score on a written examination administered by the State Court Administrator, as well as achieved a score of 50 percent or better on each section of the oral legal interpreting examination administered or approved by the State Court Administrator.

   (D) Other Court Interpreters. Non-certified court interpreters who have not satisfied the requirements of § 6-705 or § 6-706.

   (E) Sign Language Court Interpreters. Sign language interpreters must be licensed, as required by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-151 and must possess either a Legal Specialist Certification (SC:L) awarded by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, a Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit-Relay, or a Level II or Level III classification awarded by the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as set forth below:

Certified Sign Court Interpreters - Interpreters with current Legal Specialist Certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (SC:L) or a CLIP-R (Conditional Legal Interpreting Permit-Relay) and a signed oath on file with the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Non-Certified Sign Court Interpreters - 

Level II - Interpreters with current generalist certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (CI/CT, CSC, NIC Master, NIC Advanced, NIC, and Deaf interpreters certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf-CDI).

Level III - Interpreters with either a CI or CT certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, or Nebraska state certification of QAST 5/5 or 4/4 or a combination of both, or Nebraska licensed Intermediary Interpreters (Deaf Interpreters).

   Sign interpreters with Legal Specialist Certification (SC:L) or Level II credentials shall be paid at the rate for certified language interpreters. Level III sign interpreters shall be paid at the registered rate.

   Diligent efforts must be made to obtain an interpreter with the highest level of certification before allowing an interpreter with a lower level of certification to interpret.

[Originally numbered as] Rule 1(A) - (D) amended September 17, 2003; [originally numbered as] Rule 1(D) amended January 4, 2007, effective July 1, 2007; [originally numbered as] Rule 1(B) - (D) amended June 25, 2008, effective July 1, 2008. Renumbered and codified as § 6-702, effective July 18, 2008; § 6-702 amended October 21, 2009; § 6-702(D) amended May 12, 2010; § 6-702 amended March 16, 2011; § 6-702 amended August 5, 2014; § 6-702(E) amended December 12, 2018; § 6-702(B) and (C) amended April 14, 2021.